Full details of where the pinch points will be here

Motorists heading into Canterbury face major disruption in June after three major level crossings are all to be closed on the same day.

Kent County Council has given approval for the closure of rail crossings at St Dunstan’s Street, St Stephen’s Road and Sturry Hill all day on Sunday, June 4.

It will allow Network Rail, which handles rail infrastructure, to carry out essential repair works.

KCC says it has allowed for all three to shut on the same day due to “exceptional reasons” and that it would not normally allow all three to shut at the same time.

St Dunstan's crossing in Canterbury

Work on the St Dunstan’s Street crossing will enable Network Rail to deliver machinery and other technical equipment to enable them to complete work on the section of railway line between Canterbury West and Chartham with the crossing “the only viable access point from which this work can be delivered”.

The crossing in St Stephen’s Road is required to enable Network Rail to complete the urgent work, which started earlier this year, to repair the damaged road surface at the crossing.

KCC added: “This requires specialised equipment that has been booked for use on this date, and any deferral would result in significant delay to this work being delivered.” Meanwhile, closure of the Sturry Hill Crossing next to Sturry Station is required to allow Network Rail to undertake scheduled maintenance work.

A spokesman for KCC said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the longer diversionary routes in operation on June 4, but access is required by Network Rail at these crossings on this date for urgent work to be undertaken.

“It is also preferable to have all the engineering work required at these crossings to be undertaken on one day when the railway line is shut between Ashford International and Ramsgate via Canterbury West, rather than to spread this essential maintenance work over several days requiring separate line closures.”